United Utilities Group Plc · LSE:UU.
United Utilities — Investor Presentation (June 2014)
16 slides from United Utilities's investor presentation, Jun 27, 2014
Slide 1: Wastewater company specific adjustments
United Utilities Group PLC Wastewater company specific adjustments 27 June 2014
Slide 2: River quality challenges
North West Environment River quality challenges • North West currently contains 1/3rd of the poorest quality rivers in England & Wales1 • WFD2 requires all rivers to meet ‘Good Ecological Status’ by 2027 – measured by the physical, biological and chemical health of a river • High proportion of river
Slide 3: Regional factors – phosphorus levels
North West Environment Regional factors – phosphorus levels • Map shows river catchments with phosphorus loads remaining to be removed under future environmental programmes • The North West has the highest predicted levels in the country • Our AMP6 plan includes significant investment in this area,
Slide 4: High levels of treatment necessary
North West Environment High levels of treatment necessary Wastewater load receiving tertiary treatment Source: June Returns 4
Slide 5: Coastal water challenges
North West Environment Coastal water challenges • Historically, the North West has suffered from poor coastal water quality – NW contained 67% of the failing bathing waters in England and Wales in 20131 • Compliance challenging due to a combination of human activity and natural factors – major urban
Slide 6: Rainfall
North West Environment Rainfall Annual rainfall accumulation by region in England (1971-2000 average) Source: CEH (2013), Hydrological Summary for the United Kingdom (1971-2000 average rainfall data) 6
Slide 7: Combination of rainfall and population density
North West Environment Combination of rainfall and population density High rainfall High population density • North West is the only region with both high population density and high rainfall • Both of these factors are significant drivers of wastewater costs 7
Slide 8: Bathing waters
North West Environment Bathing waters Regional Bathing Water Compliance against current and future requirements Source: Environment Agency 8
Slide 9: Designated and protected areas
North West Environment Designated and protected areas • North West contains an abundance of internationally and nationally designated sites of environmental importance that need to be protected and often improved • Sites invariably have more stringent, legally enforceable environmental standards • R
Slide 10: Why is it appropriate to have exclusions?
Why is it appropriate to have exclusions? Difficult to model and capture complexity of industry and extent of regional differences • Wastewater is complex and subject to extremes of localised cost variation – complexity: prevalence of combined sewers difficult to model – quality: varying standard of
Slide 11: Key reconciling items: Wastewater totex gap by broad category
Key reconciling items Wastewater totex gap by broad category £m 1200 150 1000 800 370 600 1130 260 400 200 330 0 Difference from initial Efficiency, model formulation/application* cost threshold Items where spend is not modelled in ICT (ICT) Specific large integrated schemes Regional factors not ref
Slide 12: c£150m scope reduction and improved efficiency
Key reconciling items c£150m scope reduction and improved efficiency • Better than expected operating performance in AMP5 – reduces AMP6 requirements • Savings and scope reductions in the areas of: – private sewers – private pumping stations – supply and demand – sewer flooding – quality – other eff
Slide 13: c£370m of regional factors not fully reflected in model
Key reconciling items c£370m of regional factors not fully reflected in model • Bathing waters and intermittent discharge projects – new standards from 2015 – significant portion of our beaches will become non-compliant overnight – unusual geography of Fylde coast means requirements are exceptional
Slide 14: c£260m of specific large integrated schemes
Key reconciling items c£260m of specific large integrated schemes • Davyhulme wastewater treatment works near Manchester – largest wastewater treatment works in our region – complex programme with multiple outcomes – modernisation required with capacity expansion due to growing population – reduce a
Slide 15: c£330m of items with no modelled spend in initial cost threshold
Key reconciling items c£330m of items with no modelled spend in initial cost threshold • National Environment Programme (NEP) 5 – not published until late 2015 – Water Framework Directive (WFD) schemes not included in Ofwat’s model – Shellfish projects not included in Ofwat’s model • Chemicals and p
Slide 16: Strong rationale for company specific adjustments
Summary Strong rationale for company specific adjustments • River and coastal challenges – North West has 1/3rd of the poorest quality rivers in England & Wales – only region to have both high rainfall and high density population – North West has 2/3rds of failing bathing waters in England & Wales –
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